In the large-scale networks of today, switches are used on a regular basis to steer information from one location or site to another. In a typical switch, there are a plurality of line modules, control modules, timing modules, and switching modules. These various modules cooperate to carry out the switching and control functions of the switch. More specifically, the line modules carry information into and out of the switch, while the switching modules determine the interconnectivity between the line modules. By properly configuring the switching modules, any port of any line module may be coupled to any other port of any line module. Thus, the switching modules enable information to be switched or steered from any ingress line module port to any egress line module port.
The timing modules control the timing of the transfer of information from the ingress line module port to the egress line module port. Basically, the timing modules synchronize the ingress line module port and the egress line module port to ensure that information is transferred properly from one to the other. The control modules help to coordinate the interaction between the various other modules. While each module may implement its own control logic and may operate in many situations without the aid of the control modules, the control modules act as centralized mechanisms for coordinating the activities and communications between the various other modules.
In order to carry out all of the switching and control functions of the switch, the various modules need to communicate with each other. For example, the line modules may need to exchange information with one another to keep apprised of the overall state of the switch. Also, the line modules may need to communicate with the control modules to obtain coordination information therefrom. To enable the various modules to communicate with each other, a switch is typically provided with an underlying communication network. This network is separate and apart from the switching modules that interconnect the line modules. Also provided may be a communication facilitation mechanism. This mechanism shields the applications that may run on the various modules from the complexities of the communication network. By doing so, the facilitation mechanism makes it simpler for applications on the various modules to communicate with one another. Unfortunately, the communication facilitation mechanisms that are currently available for switches leave much to be desired. Many do not provide some highly desirable functionality, such as the ability to broadcast messages. In addition, many suffer from inefficiencies both in the publication and subscription process. These and other shortcomings exist in the currently available mechanisms. In view of these shortcomings, there exists a need for an improved communication facilitation mechanism.